Coca-Cola – Celebrate Humanity (1996)
When Atlanta, Georgia, hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, it was widely expected that one of the largest global companies having its headquarters in the metropolis, Coca-Cola, would be heavily involved in the process. And indeed, the 1996 Olympic Games went down in marketing history as the “Coca-Cola Games”. The Coca-Cola Olympic City where some of the Olympic sports could be watched in virtual reality was clear evidence that the company, one of the oldest Olympic sponsors, was certainly not underestimating this opportunity. The company also launched its Celebrate Humanity campaign to mark the occasion and, predominantly, celebrate humanity and joy. The campaign’s message was presented through emotive stories and visuals that showed the athletes and their paths to success. The individual spots consisted of authentic footage from the Olympic Games, inspirational music and voiceovers, which were combined with images of the athletes and emotional moments from the Games. And, of course, localisation for each national market was an important element. The advertising spots were one of the most important elements of the campaign – they included inspirational quotes from athletes and worked with authentic footage from past Games. As a result, Celebrate Humanity has become an Olympic benchmark for Coca-Cola, and there is perhaps not a single Olympic ad that doesn’t take at least a small nod to this legendary campaign.
Video: Coca-Cola – Celebrate Humanity spots (1996)
Video: Coca-Cola 1996 – Summer Olympics Lung Capacity
Adidas – Impossible Is Nothing (2004)
One of the most iconic Olympic campaigns has been created by Adidas – a story that began exactly twenty years ago when the world was preparing for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Predictably, Adidas put some of the greatest legends of sporting history in the spotlight but wanted to explore their careers from an unglamorous and more intimate angle. Muhammad Ali, Haile Gebrselassie, David Beckham – they all had to overcome countless obstacles and pitfalls on their way to the imaginary Olympus, but none of this stopped them. Human potential is unlimited, says Adidas as a brand representing the values of determination and perseverance. It’s no wonder that Adidas likes to revisit this symbolism even outside the Olympic season – the campaign has earned the company recognition from the marketing community, numerous awards and a reputation as one of the best advertising campaigns of all time. It is an ideal example of a TV advertisement that not only promotes a specific product but also inspires and motivates. In short, this campaign has managed to combine powerful emotional stories with a message that resonates with all generations and peoples of the world.
Video: Adidas – Impossible Is Nothing: Muhammad Ali (2004)
Video: Adidas – Impossible Is Nothing: David Beckham (2004)
Video: Adidas – Impossible Is Nothing: Haile Gebrselassie (2004)
Visa – Go World (2008)
One of the most emotional moments in Olympic history relates to now-retired British sprinter Derek Redmond. It is not a story in which winning a coveted medal plays a major role. Redmond tore his hamstring during the 400m semi-finals at the 1992 Barcelona Games, which in most cases would logically mean he would not finish his race. The injured runner eventually made it across the finish line, thanks to the help of his father who promptly took to the track and supported him the rest of the way. This image went around the world, so it is no wonder that Visa, one of the traditional Olympic sponsors, returned to it before the 2008 Olympics. The typical features of its themed ads include the sepia filter and the fact that they pay tribute to emotional moments from past Olympics. In 2008, this inspirational message was dedicated to Derek Redmond and his father whose story was inimitably retold by the famous black actor Morgan Freeman. What should audiences take away from this presentation? That neither in the Olympics nor in life is winning everything – the important thing is to see some things through, whatever the cost. And sometimes that is an even bigger victory than the one recorded in rankings.
Video: Visa – Go World (2008)
Nike – Find Your Greatness (2012)
The narrative that the soul of an Olympic athlete is within each of us in a way has been repeated with some regularity in the history of Olympic television ads. For example, the campaign that Nike introduced before the 2012 London Olympics worked well with it. It was subtitled Find Your Greatness, and its protagonists were not sports stars but ordinary people. It is important to remember that we all have our personal goals, and often the only thing that stops us from achieving them is the boundaries we set for ourselves. Of course, this also applies to athletes aspiring for Olympic gold. Nike’s TV ads demonstrate that seemingly unrealistic goals are achievable and try to motivate viewers around the world not to give up on their dreams. As a brand that has always been associated with breaking records and the idea of societal inclusion, it delivers a relevant and inspiring message to all those who doubt themselves.
Video: Nike – Find Your Greatness: Jogger (2012)
Procter & Gamble – Best Job (2012)
If we want to find one of the most praised Olympic ads in history, we have to go to the marketing archives of Procter & Gamble. In time, we are once again on the eve of the London Olympics but in this case, we find a very different message to that presented by Nike. The Thank You, Mom campaign included the Best Job TV ad, which is widely regarded as one of the most emotional (not just Olympic) ads of all time. Again, it is not the athletes themselves who are the main stars but their mothers. We follow the journey of four athletes from childhood training to Olympic success – and witness the dedication and care of their mothers without whom none of this would be possible. The imaginary catharsis, whether in real life or on the TV screen, is of course the Olympic triumph. This is not a work of fiction; the viewer can very well imagine that similar stories take place in many families around the world during Olympic time. And P&G has portrayed this dynamic flawlessly.
Video: Procter & Gamble – Best Job (2012)
Omega – Start Me Up (2012)
Every athlete who aspires to break a world record knows that he or she is often only a few seconds away from the goal, a fraction of a moment. For many, the Olympic Games are therefore increasingly becoming a race not against their opponents but against time. This element is without doubt an integral part of the Olympic Games as we know them today. Of course, this drives the need to ensure that these fractions of seconds are reliably measured. For more than a quarter of a century, Swiss watchmaker Omega has been responsible for this vital task as the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games. The 2012 Start Me Up campaign – intrinsically linked to the Rolling Stones’ hit of the same name – highlights an indispensable, but often unsung, element of every Olympic Games, putting the demands of accuracy and reliability at the forefront. Just as Olympians strive for perfection in their performances with precision, Omega approaches its mission with the same dedication and perfectionism. The dramatic moments recorded at the starting positions are proof of this.
Video: Omega – Start Me Up (2012)
Samsung – The Anthem (2016)
The Olympics are not just about the athletes themselves – each of them represents their country, a leitmotif that has always given the Olympics a certain air of unity and togetherness. Each individual represents one flag, one anthem if you like, but at the same time one Olympic idea. This was no different in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and it was this premise that inspired tech company Samsung in its marketing campaign entitled The Anthem. While the Olympics do have an official anthem, it can feel disembodied, which is exactly what Samsung decided to do something about. Its marketers took national anthems from around the world and created a unique Olympic anthem. This audiovisual experiment also expresses the idea of unity and shared sporting spirit that is at the very heart of the Olympic philosophy. The music is mixed with shots of athletes and fans singing parts of other nations’ anthems. It would be nice if the world worked this way outside of the Olympics. This message goes hand in hand with Samsung’s own identity. Samsung has long prided itself on the fact that its products are also designed primarily to cross borders.
Video: Samsung – The Anthem (2016)
Under Armour – Rule Yourself (2016)
For many athletes, the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of their professional careers – especially if they manage to win a medal. However, participation in the Games is more of an imaginary finish line, preceded by years of intense and exhausting preparations that we as TV viewers do not see. On the contrary, we only witness how Olympic aspirations turn into reality or fall apart like houses of cards. This ‘hidden’ aspect of the Olympics was the focus of Under Armour’s Rule Yourself campaign ahead of the Rio Olympics. The campaign invited viewers to watch swimming legend Michael Phelps train, specifically before the Olympics that were the last in his long career. It was also an introspective probe into a phase of the Olympics that at that time was still more or less shrouded in mystery to the general public. The advertisement described Phelps’s intense and demanding training sessions in the raw, emphasizing discipline above all. By combining visual style, emotive music, and Phelps’s story, Under Armour managed to create an inspiring message of perseverance and self-control.
Video: Under Armour – Rule Yourself (2016)
Toyota – Start Your Impossible (2020)
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will go down in history as “the one without fans”. How much this has transformed the Olympic experience is a topic for endless debate but there is no denying that if the Olympics were ever to extensively rely on advanced technology, there could hardly be a better venue than the Japanese capital. This was also reflected by the traditional Olympic sponsor, the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota. Of course, revolutionary technology has been part of the Olympic idea for many years, perhaps even more so in the Paralympics, which traditionally follow immediately after the mainstream Games. The participation of many Paralympians is conditioned by technological innovations in which the Japanese excel. Toyota’s 2020 advertising campaign reflects this technological superiority in a sweet and playful way, linking it to the ability to overcome challenges, achieve goals, and break through physical and mental barriers. Sadly, we only saw most of this vicariously, and we will have to wait until the next Japanese games to get a sufficient understanding of what is possible and impossible in this promised land for innovation.
Video: Toyota – Start Your Impossible (2020)
International Olympic Committee – One in 100 Million (2024)
Finally, here is an example of a successful campaign with socio-political overtones – unsurprisingly from this summer’s Paris. This is the third Olympics in which, thanks to the efforts of the international sports community, some athletes are competing as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. It aims to bring together individuals dedicated to various sports disciplines who are born in countries where life has long been poor, especially war-decimated Syria. This unique Olympic team was established before the Rio 2016 Olympics at the urging of IOC President Thomas Bach. The associated campaign is symbolically entering a new dynamic phase this year, linked to a newly established partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is broadcasting the Olympics for the first time this year, and which has engaged refugee swimmer Yusra Mardini as a special reporter for Eurosport. The campaign on social media, including TikTok, is massive and the IOC is not lagging behind in terms of advertising either. Given the multicultural profile of contemporary France, nothing else is to be expected – where else to give refugee athletes the spotlight than here and now?
Video: International Olympic Committee – One in 100 Million (2024)
As you can see, the history of the Summer Olympics is full of memorable ads that were not only designed to promote brands but also to inspire millions of people around the world. It is even fair to say that the product plays (and should play) a secondary role in all of these cases. These campaigns use the emotional power of sport to spread positive values such as unity, courage, and the human spirit. Whether through the stories of famous athletes or ordinary people, Olympic advertisements remain a vital platform through which to appeal for belonging regardless of differences of opinion, ethnicity, religion, or any other aspects.
